Metro is planning to swap properties with a local builder in an effort possibly to expand the Centennial Dog Park.
Upon approval of a rezoning of the properties at 3138 and 3140 Parthenon Ave., Metro Parks plans to trade the property at 3140 for a property of equal size at 3136 Parthenon Ave.
The rezoning application, proposed by Metro Councilmember Brandon Taylor, aims to rezone the two Metro Parks-owned properties so that 3140 Parthenon Ave. is the same size as the .26-acre 3136 Parthenon Ave. property, as well as permit the development of 10 multi-family residential units at the site. The proposal passed through the Metro Planning Commission on Thursday despite some backlash from Nashvillians who live near the property.
“We’re talking about destroying a street, just so a person can make money building five units,” said neighbor William Henry during the hearing.
Other neighbors of the property also spoke in opposition to the plan, expressing concerns over a loss of green space in Nashville. Others expressed concerns that developing the site would result in increased traffic. Â
“It’s just pushing together the two residential properties there,” says Cindy Harrison, assistant director of Metro Parks. “It's kind of a snaggletooth thing. And it lets us have a more continuous future, whether that's enlarging the dog park or doing something else there, so it’s not broken up like it is right now.”
The property at 3136 is currently owned by Charlie Phillips, who owns Gallatin-based Volunteer Builders. The property is effectively surrounded by Metro Parks’ Centennial Dog Park, making it an awkward space for residential development.
Phillips bought the property in June 2021 for $1.4 million, and at the same time purchased three other properties in the Hillsboro-West End district for a total of $1 million. The Parthenon Avenue property is currently zoned for up to five residential units.
Another property on the block, at 3140B Parthenon Ave., is also residential, and the swap would consolidate the three non-Parks properties into one segment surrounded on three sides by Parks-owned land. Â
Following the Planning Commission's approval, the Metro Parks and Recreation Board will discuss and potentially approve the land swap during its meeting on Nov. 1.
“I would like to have a report from the parks board before we bring it to public hearing so I can lay all of the information out for everybody,” says Taylor, who added that he plans to present the proposal to Metro Council for first reading during one of the council’s November meetings before bringing it to public hearing in either December or January, depending on the parks board’s action.
